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Holiday Supplies Storage Hamper
Everyone has their own short-term solutions for storing gift-wrap and wrapping accessories like bows and tags. Even with the best storage intentions, wrapping can be a challenge to keep organized. Many times the necessary supplies end up scattered in various places around the home and aren’t right there when you need them.
Just follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a holiday supplies storage hamper so your wrapping paper, bows, tags, ribbon, and more can go wherever you need them to, in one portable and organized container.
1. Purchase a plastic or woven wicker hamper with handles and a removable lid. It should be tall enough to hold tubes of wrapping paper upright, while still allowing you to close the lid.
- Tip: If you choose a woven wicker hamper, look for one that’s lined with fabric to protect your supplies from tearing.
2. Attach hooks through holes in the wicker weave or at the top of the hamper for hanging various supplies. Here are a few options for using your hooks:
- Keep gift bags close at hand and looking great by hanging them from their handles on the hooks.
- Use hooks to hang a bag with handles to hold bows, ribbon and tags.
- Hang a bag that will hold your holiday cards and list of recipients or address book.
- Use a pencil case with 3-ring binder holes to hold your scissors, tape, pens or any other small wrapping accessories. Include a few pens in festive colors to add a special finishing touch to cards and tags. Hang from a hook using a binder hole.
- Or try this easy, no-sew pocket idea for storing small wrapping accessories.
No-Sew Felt Pocket
MATERIALS
Felt in a festive color (12” x 9” if it is pre-cut)
Spool of 1/4-inch ribbon
Scissors
Ruler
Heavy-duty hole-punch
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut a 12” x 9” rectangle of felt.
- Lay felt flat on a table and use a permanent marker to lightly mark dots 1/2” from the edge and 1/2” apart on each side. Use the ruler to keep the dots lined up. (Leave approximately 1” without dots in the center where the felt will be folded in half.)
- Keep felt flat and use your hole-punch to create holes along two sides of the rectangle where you made your dots.
- Fold the felt in half, leaving an opening at the top.
- Thread the ribbon through the holes, tying a knot or bow at the bottom on each side.
- Tie the top ends of the ribbon to the hamper through the wicker holes or onto a handle or hook. (Feel free to experiment with how you tie the ribbon.)
3. Fill your hamper with various tubes of gift-wrap, tissue paper and a few flattened gift boxes in various sizes. Use fabric or sturdy plastic drawstring bags to hold boxes and tissue paper in their own separate compartments. This way, you won’t have to dig through the hamper to find the supplies your looking for. Simply grab the bag with the items you need.
4. Keep the hamper light so you can take it wherever it’s needed. Set-up your portable gift-wrapping station near your dining room table, in a rec room or family room. Look for areas with large spaces and flat surfaces so you can spread out.
5. Store the hamper in an easily accessible yet out-of-the-way place when not in use. Good storage options could be a linen closet, underneath a basement staircase or in a corner of your laundry room.
After the Holidays
After the holidays are over keep these ideas in mind to help make your holiday supplies storage hamper work for you all year round.
- Personalize Your Greetings
Holidays are a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family and show you care. Keep all those cards you received from loved ones last year in a gift bag or felt pocket on your storage hamper for easy reference. Also, keep a notepad in the bag to jot down events and accomplishments throughout the year you know you’ll want to share when it’s time to send out your holiday greetings. We all know how easy it is to forget things during the hectic holidays!
- Stock Up to Save Time & Money
Another way to save time—and a good deal of money—is to stock up on your wrapping paper, ribbon, bows, cards and gift bags and boxes right after the holidays when retailers offer huge discounts. Also look for sales throughout the year on things like tape and stationery. Buy all you’ll need for the coming holiday season and store it in your hamper. It will be there when you need it during the busiest of all seasons.
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